The IAA One Minute Blog

Spending your formative years being glued to electronics can reduce your odds of making it to 60 years old.

Correlation Between Screen Time and Heart Attack

Data from a study tracking the health of more than 4,000 young adults for over 30 years found higher odds for heart attack for those who’d spend a lot of time watching TV in their early twenties. The new data comes from the longstanding Coronary Artery Risk and Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which has tracked the heart disease risk of thousands of adults for decades.

Every additional hour spent watching television when participants were 23 years of age was tied to 26 percent higher odds for developing heart disease over the course of the study. It was also linked with 16 percent higher odds for heart attacks and/or strokes, the research team found.

Screen time wasn’t only dangerous for the younger generation. Every additional hour of daily TV time during midlife also raised a person’s odds for coronary heart disease by 55 percent, stroke by 58 percent, and overall heart disease by 32 percent, the study found.

The findings were published in the “Journal of General Internal Medicine.”

Pulling the Plug

Some tips for cutting down on screentime:

1. Be realistic: Be mindful and strategic once you evaluate what you are getting from your screen time. Eliminate the things that are not a positive influence.
2. Think about what will fill the gaps: Unplugging can lead to time for other activities. These could be healthy and/or stress relief activities.
3. Get tech support: Keep tabs on your screentime.
4. Set an example: If you are a parent, model proper screen behavior.
5. Make it personal: Remember, not all screentime is bad. When it comes to finding a healthy balance, find what works best for your situation.

What IAA has to Say

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